| TORONTO | |
| CITY
OVERVIEW
Stay in Toronto |
‘Tronno’ is the largest metropolis - and most sporting – in Canada. It is clearly Canada’s economic powerhouse, as evidenced by the dense downtown. Toronto also ranks as one of the world’s most livable cities. There are too many attractions in Toronto to list them all. The Toronto icons worth visiting include the CN Tower, the world’s largest free standing structure, which provides a great view of the city and its surrounds; the huge Harbourfront Centre, which contains galleries, theatres, shops, restaurants and many nautical related facilities and activities; Lake Ontario, a futuristic structure that involves five steel-and-glass pods suspended on columns 105 feet above the lake, and includes three artificial islands, a huge geodesic dome and contains a multimedia theater, a children's theater, a high-technology exhibit, and a Cinesphere (like and IMAX); and the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario, especially Centre Island, which has a old-fashioned but large fun park called Centreville. Of course, we haven’t mentioned the world-class museums and galleries that exist in and around the downtown area. The
downtown area itself is a shopper’s paradise, with hundreds of the most
popular commercial chains spread above (the huge Eaton Centre) and below
(the expansive Underground City). The best parts of Toronto, like most big cities, are the neighbourhoods, many of which are within reach of downtown. Just west of the downtown area is Queen Street West, which has been the heartbeat of Toronto’s nightclubs and trendy eateries, cafes and shops. It has the feel of many college towns but the variety of many larger shopping centres. Along College Street between Euclid and Shaw, Little Italy now vies with Queen Street for the best and trendiest shops and restaurants. The area may now outdo Queen Street at night, with its coffee bars, pool lounges, and nightclubs. Another great nightspot is the Danforth, east of the Don River, with its Greek eateries a highlight. Up the other end of Queen Street East is the Beaches neighbourhood, which fronts the lakeside boardwalk. Besides the nice stroll, there are quite a few nice shops to browse through in Queen Street. The best known, and most expensive, shopping neighbourhood is Yorkville, which largely contains small specialist boutiques, dotted with cafes and small bistros in between. |
| GETTING THERE
Fly to Toronto Within USA
|
Toronto’s
Pearson International Airport is located around 25km north west of the
downtown area. There are several bus services that link the downtown and
the airport. The quickest and most expensive, yet by far the most
effective, is the Airport Express – a 24 hour service. VIA Rail and
Greyhound buses are all located at Union Station in the southern end of
downtown. Toronto
has two levels of public transport services. At the local level, the
extensive TCC subway (the ‘Rocket’) provides several subway and light
rail lines. These efficient and clean rail systems will get you to most
places you need to get to. At the wider metro level, Go Transit provides
commuter trains and buses (in their distinctive green and white colours)
from outlying suburbs to Union Station in downtown Toronto. |
| NHL
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS |
The
NHL’s Toronto
Maple Leafs started life in the NHL in
1927. They have won the Stanley Cup 11 times, but the last one was in the
1966-67 season. The Leafs have struggled to trouble the best teams in the
NHL for some time since, although the last three years have seen the Leafs
re-establish themselves as a force in the NHL by being serious play-off
contenders, just missing out on a Stanley Cup berth in 2002. |
| NBA
TORONTO RAPTORS |
The
NBA’s Toronto
Raptors began life at the same time as
the Grizzlies did in Vancouver in 1995. It wasn’t the first time a team
from Toronto had played in an American competition – the long-forgotten
Toronto Huskies had tipped off against the likes of the New York
Knickerbockers in 1946. It took a few years for the Raptors to find their
feet but in the 2000-2001 season, the Raptors became one of the premier
teams in the east under the guidance of supercoach Lenny Wilkins and the
rising star of Vince Carter. The Raptors have laid the foundations to be a
constant Canadian presence in the NBA for some time to come. |
| MLB
TORONTO BLUE JAYS |
The
MLB’s Toronto
Blue Jays began life in 1977 and can be
considered one of the most successful modern day teams in the majors. The
Blue Jays have won 2 World Series, 2 Pennants and made 5 playoff
appearances. Their World Series wins came in consecutive years – 1992
and 1993 - but they haven’t been to the playoffs since (this does become
difficult when you are in the same division as the Yankees). |
| AIR CANADA CENTRE |
Air
Canada Center
hosts the Raptors and the Maple Leafs and is located at 40 Bay Street,
Toronto, which is in the southern section of the Downtown area, behind
Union Station. It is within walking distance of most downtown locations.
Opened in 1999, the Center has a capacity of 20,000 for basketball and
19,000 for ice hockey. One
of the features of the Center, other than its modern amenities and themed
restaurants, is its integration as a building with the rest of the city.
Entry to the Center is through the Galleria, a public walkway connected to
the underground PATH pedestrian system that runs throughout the downtown
area. Located at the north end of Air Canada Centre, the Galleria is a
covered, climate-controlled walkway housing the ticket office, food court
and other retail establishments. Being on the site of the old Canada Post
Delivery Building, the Center houses a historical display of artefacts
from the original Building. By
public transit, take the TTC Yonge-University rapid transit subway (Yellow
Line) to College Station, which is adjacent to the Center. |
| SKYDOME |
The
Skydome
hosts the Blue Jays and is located at One Blue Jays Way, Toronto. It is
located in downtown adjacent to the CN Tower, one of Canada’s most
popular tourist attractions. Opened in 1989, the Skydome has a capacity of
50,500 for baseball, making it the largest indoor baseball stadium in the
majors. The Skydome has a retractable roof, but much of the time the roof
remains open for games, except during playoffs and World Series games.
When closed, the SkyDome is almost twice as high above the field as
Minnesota’s Metrodome. The
main feature of the Skydome is the view of the field by offices, hotels
and restaurants within the complex. They occupy the third and fourth
levels of the five-level stadium. Windows on SkyDome is a 650-seat
restaurant that rises above the field-field fence. Sightlines, a
300-foot-long bar, sits atop that. Even the Hard Rock Cafe features some
tables with a view of the field, as well. But clearly the most famous
feature of the Skydome is the 348-room hotel located in centre field. 70
of those rooms have views of the field and on at least three occasions in
the past, spectators have been riveted to the x-rated entertainment taking
place inside some of the rooms during a game. By
public transit, take the TCC yellow line to Union Station and follow the
underground signs some 500m to the Skydome. |
| TENNIS
Mid August - WTA Rogers AT and T Cup, National Tennis Center, 3111 Steeles Ave. West, York University, Downsview, ON. Ticket information to come |
The National Tennis Center at York University is located in the suburb of Downsville, which is located some 15km north of downtown Toronto. From downtown, take the Subway Yellow Line to Downsview Station and walk east along Steeles Road to the campus or you can take the TTC York University Route 106 express bus into the York University campus. |
| GOLF
Early September – PGA Bell Canadian Open, Hamilton Golf and Country Club, Golf Links Driver, Ancaster, Ontario. Ticket information to come |
The
Hamilton Golf and Country Club
is located about 70km south-west of downtown Toronto in Ancaster, which is
located just south-west of the city of Hamilton. From Union Station downtown, take the
GO train to Hamilton Station. From there it may be best to |
| HORSE
RACING
Woodbine
Race Track, 555 Rexdale Boulevard, Rexdale, Ontario (season: thoroughbreds
– late March to late November with evening races on Wednesdays; harness
racing - all year except April to mid-May and September to November and
for two weeks in mid October). Tickets available at course |
Woodbine Race Track is located some 15km west of downtown Toronto. A bus shuttle service between Kipling Station on the Green TTC Subway Line and Woodbine Race Track exists for live thoroughbred racing only. For other meets, the TTC Bus Route 37A Islington bus from Islington Subway Station and TTC Bus Route 191 Hwy 27 Rocket Bus from Kipling Subway Station will get you near to the racetrack. |
| MOTOR
RACING
Mid July – CART Toronto Grand Prix, Exhibition Place Road Circuit, Toronto, Canada |
The
Exhibition Place
temporary road circuit is located on the shores of Lake Ontario at the
western end of downtown. You can either walk to the circuit along the
Shore line walkway or catch the Lakeshore West Go Transit Rail Line one
stop to Exhibition, which is near the street course. |
